Oxide etch selectivity systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of etching a substrate. The method may include striking a plasma discharge in a plasma region. The method may also include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the plasma region to form a plasma effluent. The plasma effluent may flow into a mixing region. The method may further include introducing a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the mixing region without first passing the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the plasma region. Additionally, the method may include reacting the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound with the plasma effluent in the mixing region to form reaction products. The reaction products may flow through a plurality of openings in a partition to a substrate processing region. The method may also include etching the substrate with the reaction products in the substrate processing region.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/821,542 filed Aug. 7, 2015, and titled “OXIDE ETCH SELECTIVITY SYSTEMS AND METHODS” which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to semiconductor systems, processes, and equipment. More specifically, the present technology relates to systems and methods for etching semiconductor materials.

BACKGROUND

Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produce intricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for removal of exposed material. Chemical etching is used for a variety of purposes including transferring a pattern in photoresist into underlying layers, thinning layers, or thinning lateral dimensions of features already present on the surface. Often it is desirable to have an etch process that etches one material faster than another facilitating, for example, a pattern transfer process. Such an etch process is said to be selective to the first material. As a result of the diversity of materials, circuits, and processes, etch processes have been developed with a selectivity towards a variety of materials.

Dry etches produced in local plasmas formed within the substrate processing region can penetrate more constrained trenches and exhibit less deformation of delicate remaining structures than wet etches. However, even though an etch process may be selective to a first material over a second material, some undesired etching of the second material may still occur.

Thus, there is a need for improved systems and methods that can be used to produce high quality devices and structures. These and other needs are addressed by the present technology.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present technology includes methods and systems for selective etching. High etch selectivities of silicon oxide over materials including polysilicon and silicon nitride are achieved. An additional partition defining a plurality of openings may affect the flow of compounds and enhance or suppress certain reactions. In some cases, the additional partition may increase the residence time and/or the mixing of plasma products with a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound. The plasma products and the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may react to reduce the concentration of compounds that may etch materials that are not targeted for etch. Additionally, the partition may aid the formation of other compounds that may etch silicon oxide or other materials targeted for etch. The partition may then increase the etch selectivity compared to a process or system without the partition.

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of etching a substrate. The method may include striking a plasma discharge in a plasma region. The method may also include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the plasma region to form a plasma effluent. The plasma effluent may flow into a mixing region. The method may further include introducing a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the mixing region without first passing the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the plasma region. Additionally, the method may include reacting the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound with the plasma effluent in the mixing region to form reaction products. The reaction products may flow through a plurality of openings in a partition to a substrate processing region. The method may also include etching the substrate with the reaction products in the substrate processing region.

Embodiments may include a substrate processing system. The system may include a first gas inlet, a pedestal configured to support a substrate, a showerhead, a partition, a second gas inlet, and a power supply. The showerhead may be an electrically conductive plate defining a plurality of openings. The showerhead may also be positioned between the first gas inlet and the pedestal. The partition may define a second plurality of openings and may be positioned between the pedestal and the showerhead. The second gas inlet may be positioned at the showerhead or between the showerhead and the partition. A plasma region may be defined between the first gas inlet and the showerhead. A substantially plasma-free region may be defined between the showerhead and the partition. A substrate processing region may be defined between the partition and the pedestal. The power supply may be configured to strike a plasma discharge in the plasma region.

Embodiments may also include a method of etching a substrate. The method may include striking a first plasma discharge in a first plasma region. The method may also include striking a second plasma discharge in a second plasma region. The method may further include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the first plasma region to form a plasma effluent. The plasma effluent may flow into the second plasma region. In the second plasma region, a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound and the plasma effluent may react to form reaction products. The hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may not be excited by the first plasma prior to entering the second plasma region. The method may additionally include flowing the reaction products through a plurality of openings in a partition to a substrate processing region. The method may also include etching the substrate with the reaction products in the substrate processing region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block flow diagram of a method of etching according to embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a simplified diagram of a substrate processing system according to embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows a block flow diagram of a method of etching according to embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows a simplified diagram of a substrate processing system according to embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows etch selectivities for different processes according to embodiments.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing chamber according to embodiments.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a substrate processing chamber according to embodiments.

FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of a showerhead according to embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows a top view of an exemplary substrate processing system according to embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Conventional methods and systems of etching materials may have lower than desired etch selectivities as characteristic dimensions of semiconductor structures decreases. In some processes, a lower quality oxide must be etched more quickly than a higher quality oxide. The oxide etch rate may be lowered in order to increase selectivity between oxide types. In this lower oxide etch regime, etch selectivity between oxide and silicon or silicon nitride may decrease. The undesired etch of silicon or silicon nitride may have detrimental impacts on device performance, particularly with smaller and smaller semiconductor devices.

Embodiments of the present technology increase, over conventional methods and systems, the etch selectivity of oxide to silicon, silicon nitride, or other materials. An additional partition in the process alters the flow and reactions of precursors and compounds in the etch process. The partition may be positioned downstream of a plasma region and downstream of the introduction of a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound. The partition may reduce the concentration of species that may etch silicon and silicon nitride (e.g., fluorine radicals), while increasing the formation of species that etch silicon oxide (e.g., HF₂ ⁻). Hence, etch selectivities of oxide to polysilicon, silicon nitride, and/or other materials may increase over methods and systems without the partition.

FIG. 1 shows a method 100 of etching a substrate according to embodiments. The method may include striking a plasma discharge in a plasma region (block 102). The plasma discharge may be a capacitively coupled plasma or an inductively coupled plasma. Method 100 may also include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the plasma region to form a plasma effluent (block 104). The fluorine-containing precursor may include a precursor selected from the group consisting of atomic fluorine, diatomic fluorine, nitrogen trifluoride, carbon tetrafluoride, hydrogen fluoride, and xenon difluoride. Other gases may be flowed into the plasma region along with the fluorine-containing precursor. Other gases may include, for example, an inert gas, a noble gas, helium, and/or argon. Other sources of oxygen may be used to augment or replace the nitrogen trifluoride. In general, an oxygen-containing precursor is flowed into the plasma region and the fluorine-containing precursor comprises at least one precursor selected from the group consisting of molecular oxygen (O₂), ozone (O₃), dinitrogen oxide (N₂O), hyponitrite (N₂O₂) or nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in embodiments. The plasma effluent may include atoms, molecules, radicals, and/or ions of the molecules in the gas present before being excited by the plasma discharge.

In addition, method 100 may include flowing the plasma effluent into a mixing region (block 106). The plasma effluent may flow through a plurality of openings in a showerhead. The mixing region may be substantially plasma-free. “Plasma-free” does not necessarily mean the region is devoid of plasma. Ionized species and free electrons created within the plasma region may travel through the openings in the showerhead at exceedingly small concentrations. The borders of the plasma in the chamber plasma region may encroach to some small degree upon the regions downstream of the showerhead through the openings in the showerhead. Furthermore, a low intensity plasma may be created in a region downstream of the showerhead without eliminating desirable features of the etch processes described herein. All causes for a plasma having much lower intensity ion density than the chamber plasma region during the creation of the excited plasma effluents do not deviate from the scope of “plasma-free” as used herein.

In some embodiments, method 100 may further include introducing a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the mixing region (block 108) without first passing the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound into the plasma region. The hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may not be excited or ionized by any plasma outside the mixing region prior to entering the mixing region. If the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound were introduced in the same gas inlet as the fluorine-containing precursor, the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may disassociate, ionize, or undergo other reactions or excitations, which may affect etch reactions and increase process complexity. Instead, the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may be introduced downstream of the plasma in order to deliver the compound without dissociating and without unnecessarily increasing process complexity. The hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may include water vapor or an alcohol. The alcohol may include one or more of methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol in embodiments. The hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may include an O—H bond.

Additionally, method 100 may include reacting the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound with the plasma effluent in the mixing region to form reaction products (block 110). A reaction in the mixing region may include fluorine radical and water reactants. The fluorine radical and water may react to form products, including HF₂ ⁻ and OH⁻. The reaction products may include combinations of hydrogen, fluorine, and/or oxygen atoms.

The method may further include flowing reaction products through a plurality of openings in a partition to a substrate processing region (block 112). The substrate processing region may be substantially or entirely plasma-free. Each opening of a portion of the plurality of openings in the partition may or may not be concentrically aligned with the nearest opening of the plurality of openings in the showerhead. The portion of the plurality of openings that may or may not be concentrically aligned may or may not be the entirety of the openings in the partition. Without intending to be bound to any particular theory, it is believed that the partition enhances mixing between the plasma effluent and the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound. Specifically, the partition may increase reactions between F radicals and water and therefore may reduce F radicals that may etch polysilicon, silicon nitride, or other materials.

Method 100 may also include etching the substrate with the reaction products in the substrate processing region (block 114). The substrate may include a semiconductor wafer with patterned layers on top of the wafer. The substrate may include an exposed silicon oxide portion and a second exposed portion. The second exposed portion may have a compositional atomic ratio other than 1 silicon atom to 2 oxygen atoms. The silicon oxide may etch by a mechanism including the following reactions: —Si—O⁻+H⁺→—Si—OH  (1) —Si—OH+HF₂ ⁻→—Si—F+OH⁻+HF  (2). Reaction (1) shows how the surface of silicon oxide may be protonated by a hydrogen ion, which may have been formed in the mixing region. Reaction (2) shows how the protonated surface may be attacked by HF₂ ⁻ to form fluorinated silicon. After silicon reacts with three more fluorine atoms, SiF₄ is formed and desorbs from the surface. The additional three fluorine atoms may come from fluorine radicals and/or HF₂ ⁻.

In embodiments, the second exposed portion may include polysilicon or silicon nitride. The first exposed portion may etch at an etch rate over 500 times faster than the polysilicon etches. In some cases, the etch rate may be over 600 times, 700 times, 800 times, 900 times, 1,000 times faster. In addition, the first exposed portion may etch at an etch rate at over 200 times faster than the silicon nitride etches. For example, the etch rate for silicon oxide over silicon nitride may be over 250 times faster, 300 times faster, 350 times faster, or 400 times faster. In some embodiments, the substrate may include two types of silicon oxide. One type of silicon oxide may etch faster, but less than 2 times faster, than the other type of silicon oxide. Process temperatures may be from 0° C. to 100° C., including from 8° C. to 15° C. Process pressures may be from 0.5 torr to 12 torr.

Embodiments may include a substrate processing system 200, shown in FIG. 2. The system may include a first gas inlet 202, a pedestal 204 configured to support a substrate 206, a showerhead 208, a partition 210, a second gas inlet 212, and a power supply 214. First gas inlet 202 may be configured to receive gas from first gas source 203. Partition 210 may be disposed from 1,000 to 4,000 mils away from showerhead 208, including, for example, from 1,000 to 1,500 mils, from 1,500 to 2,000 mils, from 2,000 to 2,500 mils, from 2,500 to 3,000 mils, from 3,000 to 3,500 mils, or from 3,500 to 4,000 mils. Pedestal 204 may be disposed 1,000 to 4,000 mils from the surface of showerhead 208 facing the partition 210. For instance, pedestal 204 may be between 1,000 and 1,500 mils, 1,500 and 2,000 mils, 2,000 and 2,500 mils, 2,500 and 3,000 mils, 3,000 and 3,500 mils, or 3,500 and 4,000 mils from the surface of showerhead 208 opposite the partition. Partition 210 may be circular. Partition 210 may be called a flow distribution plate or a distribution plate. Partition 210 may be positioned at any distance between showerhead 208 and pedestal 204. In embodiments, partition 210 is about 2,800 mil from showerhead 208, and pedestal 204 may be positioned from 2,800 to 4,000 mil from showerhead 208.

Showerhead 208 may be an electrically conductive plate defining a plurality of openings, including opening 216. Each opening of the plurality of openings in showerhead 208 may be cylindrical. In some embodiments, opening 216 may include a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion or portions. The tapered portion may taper away from or toward the pedestal. Opening 216 may include a cylindrical portion bounded by two tapered portions. Showerhead 208 may also be positioned between first gas inlet 202 and pedestal 204. Partition 210 may define a second plurality of openings and may be positioned between pedestal 204 and showerhead 208. Each opening of the plurality of openings in partition 210 may be cylindrical. Opening 218 is an example of one opening in partition 210. The diameter of each opening in the plurality of openings in showerhead 208 may be equal to the diameter of each opening in the plurality of openings in partition 210. In embodiments, the plurality of openings in at least one of showerhead 208 and partition 210 may have a non-uniform distribution of hole sizes. Showerhead 208 may be circular and may have the same diameter as partition 210. Showerhead 208 may have a diameter within 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50% of the diameter of partition 210.

A second gas inlet may be positioned at showerhead 208 as second gas inlet 212) or between showerhead 208 and partition 210 (as second gas inlet 213). Second gas inlet 212 may deliver gas from a second gas source 220 to apertures 222 in showerhead 208. Apertures 222 may direct gas toward partition 210 and not direct gas to mix with plasma effluent in opening 216. In this manner, showerhead 208 may be a dual channel showerhead. No gas inlet may be positioned at the same level as partition 210. A plasma region 224 may be defined between first gas inlet 202 and showerhead 208.

A substantially plasma-free region 226 may be defined between showerhead 208 and partition 210. A substrate processing region 228 may be defined between partition 210 and pedestal 204. A plurality of gas outlets, including gas outlet 230, may be positioned between partition 210 and pedestal 204. The plurality of gas outlets may lead to a pump 232. The plurality of gas outlets may be arranged at a radius about a center point. The center point may be located on a line through the center of showerhead 208 and the center of partition 210. The plurality of gas outlets may be distributed uniformly along the circumference of a circle having the radius about the center point. No gas inlet may deliver gas directly into the substrate processing region.

In some embodiments, no gas outlets may be positioned between partition 210 and pedestal 204. The lack of gas outlets in substrate processing region 228 may be a result of the system not have gas outlets at this location or a pump liner fit over gas outlets to prevent gas flow through the outlets. The only gas outlet may be on the side of pedestal 204 opposite partition 210. Forcing gas to exit under the pedestal rather than radially out the plurality of gas outlets may improve etch uniformity.

Power supply 214 may be configured to strike a plasma discharge in plasma region 224. Power supply 214 may be an RF power supply. Power supply 214 for a capacitively coupled plasma may operate from 0 W to 2000 W, including, for example, 25 W to 500 W.

In some embodiments, an ion suppressor may be positioned between the showerhead and the first gas inlet. The ion suppressor may include a third plurality of openings. The ion suppressor may be circular and may have the same diameter as the showerhead. The ion suppressor may have a diameter within 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50% of the diameter of the showerhead. The third plurality of openings may have a non-uniform distribution of opening diameters. Possible examples of an ion suppressor are described in more detail below. Any two or three of the ion suppressor, the showerhead, and the partition may have an identical pattern or distribution of plurality of openings. In embodiments, any two of or three of the ion suppressor, the showerhead, and the partition may have a different pattern or distribution of plurality of openings.

As shown in FIG. 3, embodiments may also include a method 300 of etching a substrate. Method 300 may include striking a first plasma discharge in a first plasma region (block 302). The first plasma discharge may be a remote plasma. The remote plasma source may have a power between 0 kW and 10 kW.

Method 300 may also include striking a second plasma discharge in a second plasma region (block 304). The second plasma discharge may be in the same chamber as the substrate. The second plasma may be a capacitively coupled plasma or an inductively coupled plasma. The power source for the second plasma discharge may operate from 0 W to 500 W. Method 300 may further include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into the first plasma region to form a plasma effluent (block 306). Method 300 may include flowing the plasma effluent into the second plasma region (block 308). In the second plasma region, a hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound and the plasma effluent may react to form reaction products (block 310). The hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may not be excited by the first plasma prior to entering the second plasma region. Method 300 may additionally include flowing the reaction products through a plurality of openings in a partition to a substrate processing region (block 312). Method 300 may also include etching the substrate with the reaction products in the substrate processing region (block 314).

The plasma effluent may not flow through a plurality of openings in an electrically grounded showerhead and/or ion suppressor before the plasma effluent enters the second plasma region and after entering an etch chamber. The second plasma discharge may not be formed by an electrical connection to a showerhead or ion suppressor. The second plasma region may not include or be bounded by a showerhead or an ion suppressor described herein. Without intending to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the remote plasma unit in combination with a second plasma discharge provides adequate mixing and reaction of the plasma effluent and the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound to increase etch selectivity of the oxide over other materials.

A system used to implement method 300 may include system 400 in FIG. 4. Overall, system 400 in FIG. 4 is similar to system 200 in FIG. 2 with the addition of a Remote Plasma Source (RPS) Unit 402 and the omission of a showerhead. In system 400, first gas source 404 delivers gas to RPS Unit 402. RPS Unit 402 is configured to strike a plasma discharge and may generate plasma effluents. Plasma effluents may flow down gas inlet 406. Gas inlet 406 may be substantially plasma-free.

Plasma effluents may flow into a second plasma region 408. Second plasma region 408 may be between gas inlet 406 and a partition 410. The second plasma region may include a plasma discharge, which may be sustained with power from power supply 412. Power supply 412 may be an RF power supply capacitively coupled between the chamber and partition 410. A second gas inlet 414 may deliver gas from a second gas source 416. Second gas source 416 may include water or another hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound. The reaction products formed in the second plasma region may flow through a plurality of openings in partition 410, such as opening 418. The reaction products may then be in a substrate processing region 420, defined as between partition 410 and pedestal 422. Substrate processing region 420 may be substantially plasma-free. Even so, the gas in substrate processing region 420 may etch a portion of substrate 424.

As with system 200, system 400 may include a gas outlet 426 leading to pump 428. Gas outlet 426 may be in a similar position and configuration as gas outlet 230 in FIG. 2. Additionally, system 400 may exclude gas outlet 426 and other similar gas outlets in substrate processing region 420.

Generally speaking, the methods presented herein may be used to selectively etch silicon oxide relative to a wide variety of materials and not just polysilicon and silicon nitride. The methods may be used to selectively etch exposed silicon oxide faster than titanium, titanium nitride, titanium oxide, titanium silicide, hafnium, hafnium oxide, hafnium silicide, tantalum, tantalum oxide, tantalum nitride, tantalum silicide, cobalt, cobalt oxide, cobalt silicide, tungsten, tungsten oxide, tungsten silicide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbon nitride, C—H films, C—H—N films, silicon germanium, germanium, nickel, nickel oxide, or nickel silicide.

The second exposed portion may include at least one element from the group consisting of nitrogen, hafnium, titanium, cobalt, carbon, tantalum, tungsten, and germanium according to embodiments. The second exposed portion may consist essentially of or consist of a composition selected from the group of silicon, tantalum, tantalum and oxygen, tantalum and silicon, tantalum and nitrogen, cobalt, cobalt and oxygen, cobalt and silicon, tungsten, tungsten and oxygen, tungsten and silicon, nickel, nickel and oxygen, nickel and silicon, silicon and nitrogen, silicon and oxygen and nitrogen, silicon and carbon and nitrogen, silicon and carbon, carbon, carbon and hydrogen, carbon and hydrogen and nitrogen, silicon and germanium, germanium, hafnium, hafnium and oxygen, hafnium and silicon, titanium, titanium and oxygen, titanium and nitrogen, or titanium and silicon in embodiments.

EXAMPLE

Etch methods with a distribution plate were tested for etch selectivity against other processes without a distribution plate. Results for the various methods are shown in FIG. 5. The results for the first column is the control recipe for etching oxide. The bars indicate that the etch selectivity of oxide to polysilicon is greater than 200 and the etch selectivity of oxide to low pressure silicon nitride (“LP SiN”) is about 100. The second column of FIG. 5 shows results for an etch process termed uSMD, which includes a different ion suppressor, where the ion suppressor has a different distribution of openings and/or diameters of the openings. SMD stands for selectivity modulation device, which is an ion suppressor. The third column shows the showerhead with the uSMD distribution of openings and a recipe including helium. The results show a slight increase in etch selectivity of oxide to polysilicon and about the same etch selectivity of oxide to low pressure silicon nitride. However, as a result of the slow etch rate of polysilicon and/or experimental precision, the difference in the selectivity between the third column and the first two columns does not translate to a difference when used in typical manufacturing processes. The first three columns show that a different ion suppressor configuration and a different recipe have little effect on etch selectivities.

The fourth column shows etch selectivity results for a chamber with an additional flow distribution plate with the recipe of the third column. The etch selectivity of oxide to polysilicon has increased to about and above 800, and the etch selectivity of oxide to low pressure silicon nitride has increased to close to 300. The fifth column includes the conditions of the fourth column and a pump liner skirt to cover gas outlets on the chamber wall between the pedestal and the flow distribution plate. The etch selectivity under the conditions of the fifth column are similar to that of the fourth column, indicating that pump liner skirt does not affect etch selectivity.

Also shown on FIG. 5 are the etch selectivities of the oxide to a higher quality oxide. Neither the oxide nor the higher quality oxide is a thermal oxide. The higher quality oxide may have a higher density and different surface conditions than the oxide. A higher anneal temperature for the higher quality oxide may make the higher quality oxide more difficult to etch. The etch selectivity between the two oxides is about the same regardless of chamber configuration and recipe. FIG. 5 also shows the etch selectivity between oxide and plasma enhanced silicon nitride (“PE SiN”), which is also about the same across different process conditions. Plasma enhanced silicon nitride may have a higher hydrogen content than low pressure silicon nitride, and as a result the etch mechanism may be similar to oxide instead of polysilicon or low pressure silicon nitride. Hence, the selectivity of the etch to plasma enhanced silicon nitride may not increase much. These results show that the addition of the flow distribution plate does not have a negative impact on other etch selectivities.

Exemplary Processing Systems

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary substrate processing chamber 1001 with a partitioned plasma generation region within the processing chamber. During film etching, a process gas may be flowed into chamber plasma region 1015 through a gas inlet assembly 1005. A remote plasma system (RPS) 1002 may optionally be included in the system, and may process a first gas which then travels through gas inlet assembly 1005. The process gas may be excited within RPS 1002 prior to entering chamber plasma region 1015. Accordingly, the fluorine-containing precursor as discussed above, for example, may pass through RPS 1002 or bypass the RPS unit in embodiments.

A cooling plate 1003, faceplate 1017, ion suppressor 1023, showerhead 1025, and a substrate support 1065 (also known as a pedestal), having a substrate 1055 disposed thereon, are shown and may each be included according to embodiments. Pedestal 1065 may have a heat exchange channel through which a heat exchange fluid flows to control the temperature of the substrate. This configuration may allow the substrate 1055 temperature to be cooled or heated to maintain relatively low temperatures, such as between −20° C. to 200° C. Pedestal 1065 may also be resistively heated to relatively high temperatures, such as between 100° C. and 1100° C., using an embedded heater element.

Exemplary configurations may include having the gas inlet assembly 1005 open into a gas supply region 1058 partitioned from the chamber plasma region 1015 by faceplate 1017 so that the gases/species flow through the holes in the faceplate 1017 into the chamber plasma region 1015. Structural and operational features may be selected to prevent significant backflow of plasma from the chamber plasma region 1015 back into the supply region 1058, gas inlet assembly 1005, and fluid supply system 1010. The structural features may include the selection of dimensions and cross-sectional geometries of the apertures in faceplate 1017 to deactivate back-streaming plasma. The operational features may include maintaining a pressure difference between the gas supply region 1058 and chamber plasma region 1015 that maintains a unidirectional flow of plasma through the showerhead 1025. The faceplate 1017, or a conductive top portion of the chamber, and showerhead 1025 are shown with an insulating ring 1020 located between the features, which allows an AC potential to be applied to the faceplate 1017 relative to showerhead 1025 and/or ion suppressor 1023. The insulating ring 1020 may be positioned between the faceplate 1017 and the showerhead 1025 and/or ion suppressor 1023 enabling a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) to be formed in the chamber plasma region.

The plurality of holes in the ion suppressor 1023 may be configured to control the passage of the activated gas, i.e., the ionic, radical, and/or neutral species, through the ion suppressor 1023. For example, the aspect ratio of the holes, or the hole diameter to length, and/or the geometry of the holes may be controlled so that the flow of ionically-charged species in the activated gas passing through the ion suppressor 1023 is reduced. The holes in the ion suppressor 1023 may include a tapered portion that faces chamber plasma region 1015, and a cylindrical portion that faces the showerhead 1025. The cylindrical portion may be shaped and dimensioned to control the flow of ionic species passing to the showerhead 1025. An adjustable electrical bias may also be applied to the ion suppressor 1023 as an additional means to control the flow of ionic species through the suppressor. The ion suppression element 1023 may function to reduce or eliminate the amount of ionically charged species traveling from the plasma generation region to the substrate. Uncharged neutral and radical species may still pass through the openings in the ion suppressor to react with the substrate.

Plasma power can be of a variety of frequencies or a combination of multiple frequencies. In the exemplary processing system the plasma may be provided by RF power delivered to faceplate 1017 relative to ion suppressor 1023 and/or showerhead 1025. The RF power may be between about 10 watts and about 5000 watts, between about 100 watts and about 2000 watts, between about 200 watts and about 1500 watts, or between about 200 watts and about 1000 watts in embodiments. The RF frequency applied in the exemplary processing system may be low RF frequencies less than about 200 kHz, high RF frequencies between about 10 MHz and about 15 MHz, or microwave frequencies greater than or about 1 GHz in embodiments. The plasma power may be capacitively-coupled (CCP) or inductively-coupled (ICP) into the remote plasma region.

Gas may flow from showerhead 1025 to a mixing region 1070. Mixing region 1070 may be bounded on one side by a flow distribution plate 1072. Flow distribution plate may be any partition described herein, and any partition herein may be flow distribution late 1072. Flow distribution plate 1072 may have a plurality of openings, such as opening 1074. Opening 1074 may include a tapered portion that faces substrate processing region 1033, a tapered portion that faces showerhead 1025, and/or a cylindrical portion. The tapered portions may taper toward or away from the side they face.

A precursor, for example a fluorine-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor, may be flowed into substrate processing region 1033 by embodiments of the showerhead described herein. Excited species derived from the process gas in chamber plasma region 1015 may travel through apertures in the ion suppressor 1023, and/or showerhead 1025 and react with an additional precursor flowing into substrate processing region 1033 from a separate portion of the showerhead. Alternatively, if all precursor species are being excited in chamber plasma region 1015, no additional precursors may be flowed through the separate portion of the showerhead. Little or no plasma may be present in substrate processing region 1033 during the remote plasma etch process. Excited derivatives of the precursors may combine in the region above the substrate and/or on the substrate to etch structures or remove species from the substrate.

The processing gases may be excited in chamber plasma region 1015 and may be passed through the showerhead 1025 to substrate processing region 1033 in the excited state. While a plasma may be generated in substrate processing region 1033, a plasma may alternatively not be generated in the processing region. In one example, the only excitation of the processing gas or precursors may be from exciting the processing gases in chamber plasma region 1015 to react with one another in substrate processing region 1033. As previously discussed, this may be to protect the structures patterned on substrate 1055.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the features affecting the processing gas distribution through faceplate 1017. The gas distribution assemblies such as showerhead 1025 for use in the processing chamber section 1001 may be referred to as dual channel showerheads (DCSH) and are additionally detailed in the embodiments described in FIG. 6 as well as FIG. 8 herein. The dual channel showerhead may provide for etching processes that allow for separation of etchants outside of the processing region 1033 to provide limited interaction with chamber components and each other prior to being delivered into the processing region.

The showerhead 1025 may comprise an upper plate 1014 and a lower plate 1016. The plates may be coupled with one another to define a volume 1018 between the plates. The coupling of the plates may be so as to provide first fluid channels 1019 through the upper and lower plates, and second fluid channels 1021 through the lower plate 1016. The formed channels may be configured to provide fluid access from the volume 1018 through the lower plate 1016 via second fluid channels 1021 alone, and the first fluid channels 1019 may be fluidly isolated from the volume 1018 between the plates and the second fluid channels 1021. The volume 1018 may be fluidly accessible through a side of the gas distribution assembly 1025. Although the exemplary system of FIGS. 6-8 includes a dual-channel showerhead, it is understood that alternative distribution assemblies may be utilized that maintain first and second precursors fluidly isolated prior to substrate processing region 1033. For example, a perforated plate and tubes underneath the plate may be utilized, although other configurations may operate with reduced efficiency or not provide as uniform processing as the dual-channel showerhead described.

In the embodiment shown, showerhead 1025 may distribute via first fluid channels 1019 process gases which contain plasma effluents upon excitation by a plasma in chamber plasma region 1015. In embodiments, the process gas introduced into RPS 1002 and/or chamber plasma region 1015 may contain fluorine, e.g., NF₃. The process gas may also include a carrier gas such as helium, argon, nitrogen (N₂), etc. Plasma effluents may include ionized or neutral derivatives of the process gas and may also be referred to herein as a radical-fluorine precursor referring to the atomic constituent of the process gas introduced. A hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing compound may flow through second fluid channels 1021.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a showerhead 1025 for use with a processing chamber in embodiments. Showerhead 1025 corresponds with the showerhead shown in FIG. 6. Through-holes 1031, which show a view of first fluid channels 1019, may have a plurality of shapes and configurations to control and affect the flow of precursors through the showerhead 1025. Small holes 1027, which show a view of second fluid channels 1021, may be distributed substantially evenly over the surface of the showerhead, even amongst the through-holes 1031, which may help to provide more even mixing of the precursors as they exit the showerhead than other configurations.

The chamber plasma region 1015 or a region in an RPS may be referred to as a remote plasma region. In embodiments, the radical-fluorine precursor and the radical-oxygen precursor are created in the remote plasma region and travel into the substrate processing region to combine with the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing precursor. In embodiments, the hydrogen-and-oxygen-containing precursor is excited only by the radical-fluorine precursor and the radical-oxygen precursor. Plasma power may essentially be applied only to the remote plasma region in embodiments to ensure that the radical-fluorine precursor and the radical-oxygen precursor provide the dominant excitation.

Embodiments of the dry etch systems may be incorporated into larger fabrication systems for producing integrated circuit chips. FIG. 9 shows one such processing system (mainframe) 1101 of deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers in embodiments. In the figure, a pair of front opening unified pods (load lock chambers 1102) supply substrates of a variety of sizes that are received by robotic arms 1104 and placed into a low pressure holding area 1106 before being placed into one of the substrate processing chambers 1108 a-f. A second robotic arm 1110 may be used to transport the substrate wafers from the holding area 1106 to the substrate processing chambers 1108 a-f and back. Each substrate processing chamber 1108 a-f, can be outfitted to perform a number of substrate processing operations including the dry etch processes described herein in addition to cyclical layer deposition (CLD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), etch, pre-clean, degas, orientation, and other substrate processes.

Nitrogen trifluoride (or another fluorine-containing precursor) may be flowed into chamber plasma region 1015 at rates between about 1 sccm and about 40 sccm, between about 3 sccm and about 25 sccm or between about 5 sccm and about 10 sccm in embodiments. Oxygen (or another oxygen-containing precursor) may be flowed into chamber plasma region 1015 at rates between about 10 sccm and about 400 sccm, between about 30 sccm and about 250 sccm or between about 50 sccm and about 150 sccm in embodiments. Water vapor may be flowed into mixing region 1070 at rates between about 5 sccm and about 100 sccm, between about 10 sccm and about 50 sccm or between about 15 sccm and about 25 sccm according to embodiments. The flow rate ratio of the oxygen-containing precursor to the fluorine-containing precursor may be greater than 4, greater than 6 or greater than 10 according to embodiments. The flow rate ratio of the oxygen-containing precursor to the fluorine-containing precursor may be less than 40, less than 30 or less than 20 in embodiments. Upper limits may be combined with lower limits according to embodiments.

The showerhead may be referred to as a dual-channel showerhead as a result of the two distinct pathways into the substrate processing region. The fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor may be flowed through the through-holes in the dual-zone showerhead and the water vapor may pass through separate zones in the dual-zone showerhead. The separate zones may open into the mixing region or the substrate processing region but not into the remote plasma region as described above.

Combined flow rates of water vapor and plasma effluents into the substrate processing region may account for 0.05% to about 20% by volume of the overall gas mixture; the remainder being carrier gases. The fluorine-containing precursor and the oxygen-containing precursor flowed into the remote plasma region but the plasma effluents has the same volumetric flow ratio, in embodiments. In the case of the fluorine-containing precursor, a purge or carrier gas may be first initiated into the remote plasma region before those of the fluorine-containing gas and the oxygen-containing precursor to stabilize the pressure within the remote plasma region.

As used herein “substrate” may be a support substrate with or without layers formed thereon. The patterned substrate may be an insulator or a semiconductor of a variety of doping concentrations and profiles and may, for example, be a semiconductor substrate of the type used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Exposed “silicon oxide” of the patterned substrate is predominantly SiO₂ but may include concentrations of other elemental constituents such as, e.g., nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon. In some embodiments, silicon oxide portions etched using the methods disclosed herein consist essentially of silicon and oxygen. Exposed “silicon nitride” of the patterned substrate is predominantly Si₃N₄ but may include concentrations of other elemental constituents such as, e.g., oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. In some embodiments, silicon nitride portions described herein consist essentially of silicon and nitrogen. Exposed “hafnium oxide” of the patterned substrate is predominantly hafnium and oxygen but may include small concentrations of elements other than hafnium and oxygen. In some embodiments, hafnium oxide portions described herein consist essentially of hafnium and oxygen. Exposed “tungsten” of the patterned substrate is predominantly tungsten but may include small concentrations of elements other than tungsten. In some embodiments, tungsten portions described herein consist essentially of tungsten. Analogous definitions apply to all materials described herein.

The term “precursor” is used to refer to any process gas which takes part in a reaction to either remove material from or deposit material onto a surface. “Plasma effluents” describe gas exiting from the chamber plasma region and entering the substrate processing region. Plasma effluents are in an “excited state” wherein at least some of the gas molecules are in vibrationally-excited, dissociated and/or ionized states. A “radical precursor” is used to describe plasma effluents (a gas in an excited state which is exiting a plasma) which participate in a reaction to either remove material from or deposit material on a surface. “Radical-fluorine precursors” describe radical precursors which contain fluorine but may contain other elemental constituents. “Radical-oxygen precursors” describe radical precursors which contain oxygen but may contain other elemental constituents. The phrase “inert gas” refers to any gas which does not form chemical bonds when etching or being incorporated into a film. Exemplary inert gases include noble gases but may include other gases so long as no chemical bonds are formed when (typically) trace amounts are trapped in a film.

In the preceding description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous details have been set forth in order to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the present technology. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that certain embodiments may be practiced without some of these details, or with additional details.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Additionally, details of any specific embodiment may not always be present in variations of that embodiment or may be added to other embodiments.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither, or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a method” includes a plurality of such methods and reference to “the plasma effluent” includes reference to one or more plasma effluents and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth. The invention has now been described in detail for the purposes of clarity and understanding. However, it will be appreciated that certain changes and modifications may be practice within the scope of the appended claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A substrate processing system, the system comprising: a first gas inlet; a pedestal configured to support a substrate; a showerhead positioned between the first gas inlet and the pedestal, the showerhead comprising an electrically conductive plate defining a first plurality of openings, the showerhead further defining a plurality of apertures; a partition positioned between the pedestal and the showerhead, the partition defining a second plurality of openings; a plasma region defined between the first gas inlet and the showerhead; a substantially plasma-free region defined between the showerhead and the partition; a substrate processing region defined between the partition and the pedestal, the substrate processing region being substantially plasma-free; a second gas inlet positioned at the showerhead and such that a gas flowing through the second gas inlet passes through the plurality of apertures before entering the substantially plasma-free region; and a power supply configured to strike a plasma discharge in the plasma region, wherein: the system is configured such that no plasma power is applied to the substantially plasma-free region or to the substrate processing region during operation.
 2. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of gas outlets positioned between the partition and the pedestal, wherein: the plurality of gas outlets are arranged at a radius about a center point, the center point located on a line extending through a center of the showerhead and a center of the partition, and the plurality of gas outlets is distributed uniformly along a circumference of a circle having the radius about the center point.
 3. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the partition is disposed about 2,500 to 3,000 mils from the showerhead during operation.
 4. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising an ion suppressor comprising a third plurality of openings, the ion suppressor positioned between the showerhead and the first gas inlet.
 5. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising a faceplate, and wherein the power supply is configured to deliver RF power to the faceplate relative to the showerhead to strike the plasma discharge.
 6. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a pump, and a gas outlet connecting the substrate processing region to the pump, wherein the gas outlet is positioned on a side of the pedestal opposite the partition.
 7. The substrate processing system of claim 6, wherein the gas outlet is the exclusive gas outlet of the substrate processing system.
 8. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the second gas inlet is positioned such that a gas flowing through the second gas inlet does not first pass through the plasma region before entering the substantially plasma-free region.
 9. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein: the showerhead has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface is disposed nearer to the partition than the second surface, and the pedestal is disposed from 1,000 to 4,000 mils from the first surface.
 10. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a first gas source, and a second gas source, wherein: the first gas inlet is configured to receive a first gas from the first gas source, and the second gas inlet is configured to receive a second gas from the second gas source and to deliver the second gas to the substantially plasma-free region.
 11. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein: the showerhead comprises a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures open into the substantially plasma-free region, and the plurality of apertures do not open into the plasma region.
 12. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate processing system does not comprise a gas inlet configured to deliver a gas directly into the substrate processing region.
 13. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the substrate processing system does not comprise a gas outlet disposed between the partition and the pedestal.
 14. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein: each opening of the first plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a first diameter, each opening of the second plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a second diameter, and the first diameter is equal to the second diameter.
 15. A substrate processing system, the system comprising: a first gas inlet; a pedestal configured to support a substrate; a showerhead positioned between the first gas inlet and the pedestal, the showerhead comprising an electrically conductive plate defining a first plurality of openings; a partition positioned between the pedestal and the showerhead, the partition defining a second plurality of openings; an ion suppressor comprising a third plurality of openings, the ion suppressor positioned between the showerhead and the first gas inlet; a second gas inlet positioned at the showerhead; a first gas source configured to receive a first gas form the first gas source; a second gas source configured to receive a second gas from the second gas source; a plasma region defined between the first gas inlet and the showerhead; a substantially plasma-free region defined between the showerhead and the partition; a substrate processing region defined between the partition and the pedestal, the substrate processing region being substantially plasma-free; and a power supply configured to strike a plasma discharge in the plasma region, wherein: the showerhead defines a plurality of apertures, the plurality of apertures open into the substantially plasma-free region, the plurality of apertures do not open into the plasma region, the partition is disposed about 2,500 to 3,000 mils from the showerhead during operation, the second gas inlet is positioned such that a gas flowing through the second gas inlet does not first pass through the plasma region before entering the substantially plasma-free region, the second gas inlet is positioned such that a gas flowing through the second gas inlet passes through the plurality of apertures before entering the substantially plasma-free region, the showerhead has a first surface and a second surface, the first surface is disposed nearer to the partition than the second surface, the pedestal is disposed from 1,000 to 4,000 mils from the first surface, and the system is configured such that no plasma power is applied to the substantially plasma-free region or to the substrate processing region during operation.
 16. The substrate processing system of claim 15, further comprising: a plurality of gas outlets positioned between the partition and the pedestal, wherein: the plurality of gas outlets are arranged at a radius about a center point, the center point located on a line extending through a center of the showerhead and a center of the partition, and the plurality of gas outlets is distributed uniformly along a circumference of a circle having the radius about the center point.
 17. The substrate processing system of claim 15, further comprising a gas outlet positioned on a side of the pedestal opposite the partition.
 18. The substrate processing system of claim 17, wherein the gas outlet is the exclusive gas outlet of the substrate processing system.
 19. The substrate processing system of claim 15, wherein the substrate processing system does not comprise a gas inlet configured to deliver a gas directly into the substrate processing region.
 20. The substrate processing system of claim 15, wherein: each opening of the first plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a first diameter, each opening of the second plurality of openings is cylindrical and has a second diameter, and the first diameter is equal to the second diameter. 